Danish Headache Center, Glostrup Research Institute, Rigshospitalet Glostrup, Denmark.
Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Eur J Pain. 2020 Apr;24(4):783-790. doi: 10.1002/ejp.1528. Epub 2020 Jan 23.
In the pain field, it is essential to quantify nociceptive responses. The response to the application of von Frey filaments to the skin measures tactile sensitivity and is a surrogate marker of allodynia in states of peripheral and/or central sensitization. The method is widely used across species within the pain field. However, uncertainties appear to exist regarding the appropriate method for analysing obtained data. Therefore, there is a need for refinement of the calculations for transformation of raw data to quantifiable data.
Here, we briefly review the fundamentals behind von Frey testing using the standard up-down method and the associated statistics and show how different parameters of the statistical equation influence the calculated 50% threshold results. We discuss how to obtain the most accurate estimations in a given experimental setting.
To enhance accuracy and reproducibility across laboratories, we present an easy to use algorithm that calculates 50% thresholds based on the exact filaments and their interval using math beyond the traditional methods. This tool is available to the everyday user of von Frey filaments and allows the insertion of all imaginable ranges of filaments and is thus applicable to data derived in any species.
We advocate for the use of this algorithm to minimize inaccuracies and to improve internal and external reproducibility.
The von Frey testing procedure is standard for assessing peripheral and central sensitization but is associated with inaccuracies and lack of transparency in the associated math. Here, we describe these problems and present a novel statistical algorithm that calculates the exact thresholds using math beyond the traditional methods. The online platform is transparent, free of charge and easy to use also for the everyday user of von Frey filaments. Application of this resource will ultimately reduce errors due to methodological misinterpretations and increase reproducibility across laboratories.
在疼痛领域，量化伤害性反应至关重要。应用冯弗雷（von Frey）纤维丝于皮肤可测量触觉敏感性，是外周和/或中枢敏化状态下的痛觉过敏的替代标志物。该方法在疼痛领域的多个物种中得到广泛应用。然而，在分析获得的数据时，似乎存在一些不确定性，因此需要对原始数据转换为可量化数据的计算方法进行改进。
本文简要回顾了使用标准上下法进行冯弗雷测试的基本原理，以及相关的统计学方法，并展示了统计方程的不同参数如何影响计算得到的 50%阈值结果。我们讨论了如何在给定的实验环境中获得最准确的估计值。
为了提高跨实验室的准确性和可重复性，我们提出了一种简单易用的算法，该算法基于确切的纤维丝及其间隔，使用超越传统方法的数学方法来计算 50%阈值。该工具可供日常使用冯弗雷纤维丝的用户使用，允许插入所有可能的纤维丝范围，因此适用于任何物种的数据。
我们提倡使用这种算法来最小化不准确，并提高内部和外部的可重复性。
冯弗雷测试程序是评估外周和中枢敏化的标准方法，但与相关数学方法的不准确性和缺乏透明度有关。在这里，我们描述了这些问题，并提出了一种新的统计算法，该算法使用超越传统方法的数学方法来计算确切的阈值。在线平台是透明的、免费的，并且易于使用，即使对于日常使用冯弗雷纤维丝的用户也是如此。应用此资源将最终减少由于方法学误解而导致的错误，并提高跨实验室的可重复性。
